Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seitope.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Seitopexe2x80x99.
The new Osteospermum was discovered as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seikilrem, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,407.
The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor in May, 1999, as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in a controlled environment in Sondersoe, Denmark.
Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Sondersoe, Denmark in June, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Seitope has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Seitopexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Seitopexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Osteospermum:
1. Compact, mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Light orange-colored ray florets and dark blue-tipped disc florets.
Plants ofthe new Osteospermum are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Seikilrem. Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Seikilrem in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Seikilrem have bright yellow-colored ray florets.